I've shared a couple of my, well, made up recipes in the past. I always get nervous doing it because I don't exactly measure, etc. But I have a couple of family favorites I would like to share. I'll give my usual warnings that measurements are approximate. And feel free to do what I do with recipe which is change it to make it your own.
This first one I came up with this past weekend. It was a pretty cold weekend by Florida standards and I thought soup would be a great idea. Hubby grew up eating his grandfather's "greens and beans" so this soup is a bit of a spin-off from that.
Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup
1 package of turkey sausage (5 links...feel free to use regular sausage)
1/2 pound of kale, chopped (you could also use escarole)
2 cans of white beans (I used Great Northern beans)
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups of chicken broth (I use fat free sodium free)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Brown the sausage in a bit of olive oil. Remove from the pan, take off the casing and slice the sausage.
Add a bit more oil to the pan and saute the onion and garlic until translucent. Add in the kale until it's all wilted down. Add the sausage back in and then add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and let cook for about 15 minutes. Season to taste.
Even the kids liked this (well, my youngest wouldn't eat the "seaweed" but she ate everything else). I threw in some leftover orzo too. It's great with a nice crusty bread.
The next recipe I've changed a few times before I got to the "recipe" I use now. I made these for Valentine's Day last night. They're always a family favorite.
Chicken Quesadillas
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 medium onion, sliced
1 pablano pepper, sliced (or you could use a regular pepper or a couple of jalapenos)
Juice of 2 limes
1 tsp. pureed chipotles in adobo (use more or less depending on taste)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 to 1/2 cup of canola or vegetable oil (depending on how limey you want the marinade)
salt and pepper to taste
1 package of Shredded Mexican style Cheese (this depends on how cheesy you like them)
6 Burrito size flour tortillas (you can use smaller ones if you like)
Cooking spray
Put the chicken, onion and pepper in a shallow dish or resealable bag. Whisk together the lime juice, chipotle, garlic, oil, salt and pepper to make the marinade. Pour over the chicken and veggies and marinate for at least half an hour but not more than a couple of hours.
Cook the chicken and veggies in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are a bit tender.
Now, how you make the quesadillas will depend on what kind of equipment you have on hand. I use a Foreman Grill but you can do it in a skillet or on a grill as well.
Spray one side of a tortilla with cooking spray and place on the pan or grill, sprayed side down. Sprinkle the tortilla with a bit of the cheese, spreading it evenly over the tortilla. Add a layer of the chicken and veggies (not too much...a nice single layer is good) then top with a bit more cheese. Spray the second tortillas with cooking spray and place on top of the first, sprayed side up. Let the quesadilla cook for about 5 minutes on one side. If using a pan or grill, flip the quesadillas over (this can be tricky) and cook another 5 minutes or until the tortilla is a bit browned and crispy. Repeat the process with the other 4 tortillas. You can keep them warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve. Let them cool a bit before cutting into wedges (I cut mine into 8 wedges using my pizza cutter). We top ours with salsa and sour cream.
When we're eating healthy, I use whole wheat tortillas and reduced fat cheese. I've also make them with steak.
I hope I got these recipes right! If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments!
Showing posts with label Soups and stews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soups and stews. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Monday, August 9, 2010
Sometimes, I'm a CopyCat
You can find copycat recipes all over the Internet. And I Have to admit, I never really thought about trying any. I guess I never really found a dish I liked enough to look up the copycat recipe. But, in the last year, I have tried a couple. Here they are.
Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half (I used fat free)
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar
Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.
This was SOOOO good...even my kids liked it! I'm not a huge broccoli fan but I thought it was great.
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
1 Lb. Italian sausage ( I used hot turkey sausage)
2 large Russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4" slices.
1 large onion chopped
1/2 can oscar meyer bacon bits (or crumbled fresh cooked bacon. I used turkey bacon)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups kale or swiss chard, chopped (The restaurant uses kale so that's what I used)
2 cans chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup heavy whipping cream (I used 1% milk)
Brown sausage and crumble. Drain and set aside. Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot and cook on medicum heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage and bacon and then add salt and pepper to taste
Simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn to low heat and add the kale and cream. Heat through and serve.
Even with my modifications, this tasted EXACTLY like the restaurant version. I was VERY impressed.
I think I need to do this more. If you can make these things almost as good at home, why go out? It's probably cheaper to make it at home too!
Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half (I used fat free)
2 cups chicken stock or bouillon
1/2 pound fresh broccoli
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar
Saute onion in butter. Set aside. Cook melted butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the broccoli, carrots and onions. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.
This was SOOOO good...even my kids liked it! I'm not a huge broccoli fan but I thought it was great.
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
1 Lb. Italian sausage ( I used hot turkey sausage)
2 large Russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4" slices.
1 large onion chopped
1/2 can oscar meyer bacon bits (or crumbled fresh cooked bacon. I used turkey bacon)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups kale or swiss chard, chopped (The restaurant uses kale so that's what I used)
2 cans chicken broth
1 quart water
1 cup heavy whipping cream (I used 1% milk)
Brown sausage and crumble. Drain and set aside. Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot and cook on medicum heat until potatoes are done. Add sausage and bacon and then add salt and pepper to taste
Simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn to low heat and add the kale and cream. Heat through and serve.
Even with my modifications, this tasted EXACTLY like the restaurant version. I was VERY impressed.
I think I need to do this more. If you can make these things almost as good at home, why go out? It's probably cheaper to make it at home too!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Soup du Jour
When I lived in CT, I lived for the winters so I could make cold weather foods like soups and stews. Now that I live in FL, the cold days are few and far between but when they happen, I make the most of them. And this week the cold days are here to stay for the near future. That makes it a great time to share a couple of my favorite recipes.
The first one is a pasta e fagioli (pasta with beans). I got the recipe from my father-in-law who had cut it out of the local papaer back in CT. He said it was the Olive Garden's recipe but my guess is that meant it was a copycat recipe. To be honest, I've never had their pasta e fagioli however I do love their sausage soup. This is one of my husband's favorites and he requests it all the time.
Pasta e fagioli
1 lb ground beef (I use turkey)
1 small onion, dices
1 large carrot, julienned (I just chop it)
3 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
15 oz can tomato sauce
12 oz can of V8 (I use the low sodium one)
2 cans of diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz each (or you can use a 28 oz can. I personally hate cooked tomato chunks so I use crushed tomatoes)
1 can each great northern beans and red kidney beans, 15 oz. cans
1 tbs. white vinegar
1/2 lb ditalini pasta (I use a pound)
Salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to taste
Brown the meat over medium heat and drain the fat. Add the vegetables and garlic and saute for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the pasta and simmer for 1 hour. About 10 minutes into the simmer time, cook the pasta according to package directions. Add pasta to soup and simmer 5-10 minutes more before serving.
Now, I do not add all the pasta to the soup. I add pasta (drained, obviously) to each bowl and pour the soup over it. If I have leftovers, I keep them separate because if you don't, the pasta sucks up all the liquid and it gets mushy and nasty. Just toss the pasta with a little olive oil and keep it in the fridge separately. Then just add it to the end when you heat up the leftovers. This goes for all soups with any type of pasta.
Now on to my personal favorite, potato leek soup. I have no idea where I got this recipe and I just follow it loosely. But, I know not everyone likes to wing it so this is the actual recipe.
Potato Leek Soup
3 potatos, diced (I use Yukon Gold)
3 leeks, well cleaned and thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme (If using dry use half that amount)
6-6 1/2 C chicken broth (I use the low fat, low sodium version or you can use veggie broth if you want to keep it vegetarian)
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat a pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and cook about 10 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and thyme and cook about 5 minutes more. Add the chicken broth and increase heat. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and puree with a hand blender or regular blender. Return the puree to the heat and add the potaoes. Simmer, uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat and mash the potatoes then puree the mixture again. Season with salt and pepper before serving. I like mine with crusty bread (yeah, I know...carb overload) and a dollop of sour cream on the top.
There's nothing like soup on a cold winter day. Enjoy!
The first one is a pasta e fagioli (pasta with beans). I got the recipe from my father-in-law who had cut it out of the local papaer back in CT. He said it was the Olive Garden's recipe but my guess is that meant it was a copycat recipe. To be honest, I've never had their pasta e fagioli however I do love their sausage soup. This is one of my husband's favorites and he requests it all the time.
Pasta e fagioli
1 lb ground beef (I use turkey)
1 small onion, dices
1 large carrot, julienned (I just chop it)
3 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
15 oz can tomato sauce
12 oz can of V8 (I use the low sodium one)
2 cans of diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz each (or you can use a 28 oz can. I personally hate cooked tomato chunks so I use crushed tomatoes)
1 can each great northern beans and red kidney beans, 15 oz. cans
1 tbs. white vinegar
1/2 lb ditalini pasta (I use a pound)
Salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to taste
Brown the meat over medium heat and drain the fat. Add the vegetables and garlic and saute for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except the pasta and simmer for 1 hour. About 10 minutes into the simmer time, cook the pasta according to package directions. Add pasta to soup and simmer 5-10 minutes more before serving.
Now, I do not add all the pasta to the soup. I add pasta (drained, obviously) to each bowl and pour the soup over it. If I have leftovers, I keep them separate because if you don't, the pasta sucks up all the liquid and it gets mushy and nasty. Just toss the pasta with a little olive oil and keep it in the fridge separately. Then just add it to the end when you heat up the leftovers. This goes for all soups with any type of pasta.
Now on to my personal favorite, potato leek soup. I have no idea where I got this recipe and I just follow it loosely. But, I know not everyone likes to wing it so this is the actual recipe.
Potato Leek Soup
3 potatos, diced (I use Yukon Gold)
3 leeks, well cleaned and thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme (If using dry use half that amount)
6-6 1/2 C chicken broth (I use the low fat, low sodium version or you can use veggie broth if you want to keep it vegetarian)
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat a pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and cook about 10 minutes, until soft. Add garlic and thyme and cook about 5 minutes more. Add the chicken broth and increase heat. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and puree with a hand blender or regular blender. Return the puree to the heat and add the potaoes. Simmer, uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat and mash the potatoes then puree the mixture again. Season with salt and pepper before serving. I like mine with crusty bread (yeah, I know...carb overload) and a dollop of sour cream on the top.
There's nothing like soup on a cold winter day. Enjoy!
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